Woman’s $10 million NC lottery jackpot will cover one heck of a wedding

Jena Johnson’s daughter can expect one heckuva wedding after lottery officials said the Chatham County middle school teacher won a $10 million jackpot on a North Carolina scratch-off ticket.

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“Our daughter just got engaged, and after I won I said, ‘I found a way to pay for the wedding,’” Johnson said when she claimed her top prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh Thursday, according to a lottery news release.

Johnson bought her $50 500X the Cash ticket at Murphy Express on New Chatham Road in Siler City, officials said.

She beat odds of 1 in 3.3 million, according to the 500X the Cash game page.

“I kept looking at it thinking, ‘This can’t be,’” she said.

Johnson lives in Goldston and has taught middle school for about 20 years.

She said she also will buy her dream car, a BMW convertible.

“I have always wanted it since I was 16,” she said.

Johnson had the choice of a $500,000 annuity over 20 years and a $6 million lump sum.

After selecting the lump sum, she took home $4,320,614 after taxes, according to the lottery.

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500X the Cash began in January with five top $10 million prizes and 10 $250,000 pay-outs. Four top prizes and seven $250,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

Someone’s $1 Carolina Cash 5 ticket at a Raleigh Food Lion scored a $1.1 million jackpot, lottery officials said Saturday.

The winner bought the ticket at the grocery store at 9525 Strickland Road, according to a lottery news release.

All the numbers were matched by the ticket in Friday’s Cash 5 drawing – 2, 13, 18, 22 and 39.

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That beat odds of 1 in 962,598, according to the Carolina Cash 5 game page.

The winner has six months to claim the prize.

Saturday’s jackpot reset to $100,000.

This story was originally published August 29, 2026 at 12:20 PM.